North Merges with Diamond Sailmakers

Partnership strengthens product line and service in Europe

After five years of "flirtation," North Sails and Copenhagen, Denmarks based Diamond Sailmakers have merged their sailmaking operations in Europe, Japan and South America. Diamond president Ib Ussing Andersen will be president of the combined European North / Diamond loft network, coordinating production and distribution of yacht sails in Europe and European distribution of North's 3DL molded sail technology. Diamond's worldwide one­design operation will join North's ODT One Design International division. Where North and Diamond loft operations are combined, they will operate under the name of North Diamond Sai1makers and all sails produced and sold by these lofts will have the North logo.

"We entered this partnership for two important reasons," said North's Tom Whidden. "First is to pull together significant worldwide resources to deliver improved service and product value to our customers. Second, Diamond has proven itself to be a talented, energetic, progressive sailmaker. By combining their people and know-how with North's, we are creating what is unquestionably the most dynamic worldwide sailmaking team ever assembled.

Diamond Sailmakers was founded in early 1930 by Henrik Soderlund, Jens Christensen and Ib Ussing Andersen. Henrik Soderlund, a naval engineer, manages sail design and R&D and has numerous national and world titles to his credit, including Optimist, 470, H­Boat, 3/4 Ton and 1 Ton classes and several successful Admiral's Cup campaigns. Jens Christensen manages the North Diamond Danish loft and is a championship sailor in 505, Star, H­Boat, 3/4 Ton and Admiral's Cup classes. Ib Andersen manages the North Diamond European team, and has been a champion in OK dinghy, Soling, 1/4 Ton and 3/4 Ton classes. In 1993 he was onshore coordinator for European Whitbread entry Intrum Justitia and served as technical advisor to the Spanish America's Cup challenge in 1995.

"It is a key time in our industry," said Andersen. By combining our resources we will be able to improve design and production technology, expand customer service and better support our sport. The merger also gives us access to North's 3DL molded sailmaking technology, which we firmly believe holds the greatest promise for making better, more affordable sails in the future."

Most of the key people in the North Diamond operation have their roots in one­design classes, and we're more committed than ever to small boat sailors," said Whidden "This year, North reorganized its one­design efforts under a separate worldwide division called ODI One Design International. Adding Diamond's lofts and sailing talent to ODI means we'll be able to exchange technology and sail design from virtually every corner of the one­design world. We can develop better, more affordable products faster and ensure that young sailors get the support they need to stay involved. When you strengthen our sport at the grass roots level, you help strengthen everyone's future."

"The future of global business depends more and more on strategic alliances that bring better and more competitive produces to market," concluded Andersen. "The North / Diamond partnership is just such an alliance. "